Former Democratic senator: Raise taxes on everybody

A former Democratic senator and presidential candidate is proposing a controversial fix to the nation’s economic woes: raise taxes, and not just on millionaires.

“No one is saying that right now, and someone has to say it,” Bill Bradley said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

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“If we’re going to succeed, we have to face our problems squarely. The deficit is one problem, and that requires taxes on a lot of people, not just the wealthy,” Mr. Bradley said.

The former NBA star, who mounted a 2000 presidential bid but ultimately lost to Al Gore, appeared on CNN on Sunday morning to promote his new book, “We Can All Do Better.”

In it, he lays out controversial steps the federal government should take to turn around a stalled economy. In addition to hiking taxes on many Americans, he proposes a massive $1 trillion infrastructure bill that would fund 50 projects across the nation.

Mr. Bradley also supports significant federal intervention into workplace hiring, floating an idea that would include government paying 30 percent of the salaries for new workers hired in the private sector, provided the companies involved did not lay anyone off. The program would be capped at $50 billion, he said.

In the end, though, Mr. Bradley concedes that recovery hinges on growth.

“The real issue is we need more people working in America, and we need higher incomes,” he said.